#from grammy and grampy

[britneyshakespeare]

You know you're a good auntie when you're combing someone else's boogers out of your hair

[blue-hi]

so um. i hope it's ok if i ask for people's opinions?

i'm scheduled to go to work at the museum tomorrow but we're also supposed to get a blizzard in my city tomorrow, totaling to about 3 inches or even some more. this is my first winter with a car so i haven't really ever driven in these conditions, and drivers in my city. aren't fantastic. there's a shitty turning move named after the drivers in my city if that's any help. schools are shut down across the county, and the mayor has told nonessential city workers to stay home

i know i'm going to have to learn to drive in this weather eventually, and i have an suv, so it's not like i have a small car or a sedan or anything, so i feel like i'm overreacting but

i feel like calling off tomorrow.

my managers are super reasonable people and i really like them and they really like me, and if i were to call in tomorrow and say i don't feel safe traveling to work they'll probably understand. but i know that'll put more strain on them and my other coworkers who are brave enough to travel, and because i like them so much, i feel guilty about calling off. like i'm taking advantage of the goodwill. which i don't want to do

i also don't want them to think of me as a coward. i mean, i know i can be, but i don't want other people to know that and judge me for it. it's also been a while since i've had to deal with snow, period (we didn't get a lot last year)— is 3 inches a lot?

am i overreacting?

[steddieas-shegoes]

pine avenue

for @steddiemicrofic december prompt 'pine' wc: 508 rated: t cw: mention of minor background character's deaths tags: light angst, happy ending, teacher steve, future fic (barely), eddie is so in love with steve he buys him a whole house

🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡

The house on Pine Avenue was the only place Steve ever felt happy. His grandparents made sure he felt loved, and cared for, and special, unlike anything he ever felt when he was home.

It wasn't big, but the yard was. He was never really allowed to play outside at home unless it was in the pool, where he couldn't get dirty. But here, his Grampy let him run in the grass before he mowed it, pick the wildflowers so he could bring a bouquet inside to his Grammy to make her smile, play in the puddles that collected in the gravel driveway after an afternoon storm.

He got to sit out on the porch and help his Grammy peel potatoes for a soup that she always made two pots of, one for them and one for the soup kitchen in town.

His parents were gone for the summer, and he was too young to stay alone for more than a week at a time, so he got to be a kid with them.

It was the best part of his childhood.

His Grampy died right before Christmas when he was 11. His parents were stoic, somehow distant from something that hurt Steve like a bullet wound to the chest. They traveled all the way to Pine Avenue for his funeral, his insistence in being buried in the woods of their property the only reason they bothered to make the trip.

On Steve's 13th birthday, his Grammy died. She'd been sick for nearly a year and hadn't told anyone, didn't want anyone to take her from her home, from the love of her life buried in the dirt nearly a half a mile from the house.

The house on Pine Avenue went up for sale, his parents not wanting to deal with upkeep or renters.

Steve's only reminder of his time there was the family album his Grammy kept on the bookcase in the living room full of their times together every summer.

When Steve is 23, he graduates from college with a teaching degree and quickly finds that he doesn't want to stay in Hawkins.

Eddie just smiles and agrees, like he'd been waiting for Steve to come to the conclusion himself.

They search high and low for teaching jobs in the city, try not to be too upset when the only ones available are the lowest paying ones.

Then Steve sees a listing for the house on Pine Avenue.

Tears fall as he realizes that the previous owners never touched it, barely even lived in it. It was the same as it was when he was little.

Eddie sees it circled later that night.

He finds a job listing for a gym teacher in the area only a few days later.

Eddie takes a risk, uses up every cent of his savings to put an offer on the house. Knows this is important.

Steve moves into the house on Pine Avenue with the love of his life when he's 24, and he feels happier than ever.

[garciaasfluffypen]

have my babies

pairing: jemily x reader word count: 2.5k warnings: there’s a single allusion to a child being hurt by the ubsub but nothing is described. SMUT. MINORS DNI. this one is jj and reader centric with emily towards the end, jj finds a pet name she likes, toy usage, hair pulling, scratching, pussy slapping request from this ask

cases with kids were always rough, but they also tended to be the more interesting ones.

this one, thankfully didn’t involve the four year old directly, but impacted her significantly. her poor mother had gotten kidnapped by the unsub, which meant her fiancée and daughter would spend time at the local precinct while the team tried to find her. you had naturally been drawn to kids your whole life, the motherly instinct in you at the forefront of your life a majority of the time. it could be because of the way you were treated and had to raise your siblings practically by yourself, but you had a soft spot in your heart for the younger generations. it was probably how you found yourself playing with little molly that day, using what you remembered learning in your psychology courses to help get answers for the team.

unbeknownst to you, jj had been watching you with the young girl whenever she had the chance. she was completely enamored with the way you could change gears so easily and get along with children so well. how you always got to their level and talked to them like you were best friends. in the beginning, she had thought it was envy, but in reality it had been attraction she had felt the whole time. there were multiple times she had to go compose herself in the bathroom and splash cold water on her face- she couldn’t be getting this heated at work. it wasn’t anywhere near professional. but alas, here she was, watching you with her whole being as you played with the four year old. she had asked hotch to stay back, just in case something happened and they needed to relay messages back to you, or vice versa. you had already gotten a lot of good information out of molly, including basic descriptions of the “mean men who made mommy cry”. as strange as it was to say, it was endearing to see how you interacted with the children and dear god did it turn jj on.

“y/n, you find mommy?”

“my friends are looking for her right now.”

“momma?”

“i believe your momma is talking to your grammy and grampy, we can go find her in five minutes.”

“okay!”

jj held back a chuckle. the fiancée was one hundred percent not at the precinct and out doing a cognitive with morgan and simmons.

“can we played blocks now?”

“of course we can play blocks! you asked so nicely. here, help me put the dolls away and we can-“

“wait, you give dolly ouchie!” molly stopped your hand from moving. “no touch there. ouchie!”

jj watched with baited breath as you started putting pieces together in your brain. interestingly enough, the place where you had touched the doll was exactly where molly had a giant bruise on her arm. you started asking molly questions, getting a few new answers that implicated the unsub and backed up the mother’s stories. you locked eyes with jj through the mirror, causing her to step out and call hotch immediately. within hours, they caught the unsub and found their victim, reuniting her with her family by dinner time.

to celebrate, derek offered to buy everyone drinks, but you decided not to go. these cases were tougher for you, considering your background derek didn’t push, but reminded you that if you changed your mind they’d be at the bar down the street. emily had already decided to go, but jj knew you needed someone to help get your mind off the case. she pulled emily to the side as you were talking to luke and hotch, finding a quiet corner for the two of them to speak.

“you sure you don’t want to go?”

“they need someone right now. i need someone right now.”

emily’s eyebrow raised quizzingly. “oh?”

“em… watching her with molly, dear god it made me feel ways i haven’t ever felt in my entire life.”

“me too,” emily looked down as she blushed. “i want to be a mom so bad, jay.”

“me too.” jj searched for emily’s eyes. “i.. i want them to have our babies.”

“i do too. since the doctor said i’d have trouble carrying due to the trauma…”

“right.” jj swallowed the lump in her throat. “god, we’ve turned into such saps for them.”

“you’ve always been the same for me, ma coccinelle.” emily placed a small peck on jj’s cheek. “take them back to the room. enjoy your time together.”

“i will not be held liable for any activities that happen while you’re not there.”

“as long as i get my way with them, everything you do is fine.”

“deal.”

emily chuckled as the two of them walked back to the group, jj confirming that she’d sit this one out. the team split, leaving you and jj to take one of the cars back to the hotel with rossi and reid, the four of you splitting at their respective rooms. the room you shared with your girlfriends was a bit further down the hall, which meant you and jj were basically walking down the hallway unsupervised. hotch would usually watch you get inside your rooms before going into his own, but since he was out with the rest of the gang for once, jj got to pull you as close to her as she could muster while walking down the hallway. her hands couldn’t leave you for a second as you made your way towards the room, giggling like school girls.

“you’re very touchy tonight.”

“an acute observation, baby.” jj chuckled. “i’m mostly excited that we get some time to ourselves.”

“yeah? been meaning to get me alone, jareau?” you teased.

“always.”

jj slipped her keycard into the sensor, pushing the door open and letting you in first. her hands were back on you before the door even closed, placing kisses to your shoulder blades as she helped you take off your blazer. you took it from her with a smile on your face as you walked to your go bag, digging through it to find your jammies.

“god, jay, i’m not sure what got into you today but i���m liking it.”

“you really wanna know?”

you nodded. “tell me.”

“seeing you with molly, how you just slipped into that other version of you so easily… it was so hot.”

you smirked. “me, with kids, does that turn you on?”

“so, so much.” jj let out a shuddery breath as she walked toward you. “more than you’ll ever know.”

“and what are you going to do about it?”

jj pulled you closer to her by the belt loop. “this is going to sound a bit out of pocket, but i need to… i think it would… i need to fuck you so hard tonight that you have my babies. our babies.”

you’d be lying if you said a surge of heat didn’t run through your veins at that.

“have our babies, y/n.”

as jj pulled you closer towards her, you felt a budge down below that only meant one thing. she was packing. your body heated even more at the realization, your hands automatically reaching up to jj’s shoulders to help keep you standing. there was something about the way such a simple thing like that sent you spiraling. how jj and emily both knew the small things that would make you tick before you even realized it was a turn on for you. it was quite the turn on for you, if you were being honest, how easily they could read you and know exactly what you needed and when you needed it. and if it was any indication by the way your body was reacting, jj was absolutely in the right for taking you back to the hotel room early. you knew emily would be up soon, but you were reveling in the moment you were having with jj. one of your hands slowly started moving toward the dildo, a single finger drawing a line down her razor sharp abs as she walked you back toward the bed.

“da-daddy-“

jj’s heart skipped a beat as her grip on your hip tightened. “call me that again.”

“daddy.”

“fuck,” her head fell back as her eyes closed. “you’re so hot when you call me that.”

“so i’m taking that is a green?”

“so green. greener than the grass.” jj rested her forehead against yours. “i don’t know if i can wait until em gets up here.”

“then don’t.” you egged her on. “fuck me, jayje. please. i need it.”

within seconds, jj’s lips were on yours as the two of you fell back on the bed, her free arm suspending her over you. her other hand ran through your hair, using it to pull you closer to her. you carefully started to undo the buttons on her shirt, knowing that she was running low on laundry and only had one other shirt like this that she felt comfortable wearing. you knew you could easily get her more, but you didn’t want to ruin one of the only clean shirts she had left. slipping it off her shoulders, you sat the two of you up so you could push jj onto the bed, slipping yourself over her lap. your hips grinded down as you kissed, putting the pressure on the dildo stuck under her jeans.

her hands grabbed onto your hips, relinquishing you of your control and taking over the grinding for you, the action alone making you fall forward onto her shoulder as you scratched down her back. you left a trail of kisses down the side of her neck, making sure to leave any hickeys in places they couldn’t be seen. jj clawed at the hem of your pants, lifting you up and tapping you twice to signal that it was time they came off. you helped jj shimmy your pants off, undoing her own at the same time. soon as the fabric of her underwear had been moved and the dildo freed, your mouth hooked on it and you let jj control the movements with her hand. your hair was knotted in her fist as she moved your head up and down, the action showing you were playing into the role of letting her be solely in control. she pulled your head up and watched contently as the dildo flopped onto her stomach, you finding your way back up to her to leave more kisses.

it was her turn to leave scratch marks down your back, the red marks forming against the smooth skin while she held back every urge to fuck you then and there. she knew she had to warm you up first, her hand sneaking in between your thighs to find your wetness practically dripping onto the bed.

“you’re so wet for me, aren’t you? is that all for me?”

“yes jayje, all yours.”

you whimpered as she pulled her hand away.

“that’s not my name.” you jolted as she slapped your pussy. “color?”

“green.”

another slap. “what’s my name?”

“daddy?”

“that’s my good baby.”

your back arched as her fingers met your core, swirling around in the wetness before slowly entering your center. a groan escaped your lips as her fingers stretched you, getting you ready for the real star of the show. silently, you pulled away from jj and positioned yourself on the bed, doing your best to keep her fingers inside of you. she kept going until she felt that you were ready, licking her fingers while her other hand ran the tip through your folds. you nodded, grabbing the hand that was just in her mouth and putting it over your pelvis, the two of you moaning in tandem as she filled you up.

her hips slowly started moving, letting you get used to the feeling before she started going faster. her hand never left your pelvis, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of the bulge happening whenever she thrust into you. she bent down to leave kisses on your breasts, a nipple in your mouth as she moved her free hand to toy with the other breast. you pulled her close as you could, wanting the feeling of her against you as she fucked you so good. it had been a long, long time since you had felt this way, and you were enjoying every moment of it. jj got faster and faster, her hands moving back to your hips as she adjusted, slipping off the edge of the bed and yanking you back to her. she put the dildo back in, starting right back up to that aggressive pace.

“whats my name?”

“daddy! oh god, daddy-!”

you two reached climax at the same time, a string of incomprehensible noises leaving your lips as jj’s hips stuttered. slowly, jj pulled out and climbed next to you in the bed, wrapping her arms around your midsection and nuzzling into your neck. the dildo flopped against your stomach, but neither of you wanted to d anything about it at the moment.

“goddamn, jaye.” you moved some hair from her face. “fuck me like that any day and i’d marry you on the spot.”

“we definitely need to have a sit down about it, but i’m being serious about having kids with you. both em and i want it. to be moms with you.”

“and i want to be the mother to our children too.” you sighed contently, resting your forehead against jj’s. “i’d do anything for you.”

“good. because we’d do anything for you too.”

both of you jumped as you noticed emily standing against the wall, cheeks flushed and jacket in her hand. her eyes were a few shades darker than usual, the lust in them evident as she stared at the two of you.

“oh, i-i can explain—“

“no, it's okay, lovey. i know we usually do things together, but i told jayje she could have you tonight.” emily shot you a smile. “i do think, though, i’d like to have a shower if you wanted to join me.”

you looked to jj. “if that’s okay…”

“of course it's okay, love. you’re not just mine or just emily’s. you’re ours. i promise i’m not going to get mad if you shower with her.”

“then yes, can i shower with you, emmy?”

“of course lovey.” emily came over and placed a kiss on your lips. “i’ll go get the shower resdy.”

you turned back to jj, smiling sheepishly at her as you placed a gentle kiss on her lips. the taste of you mixed with her chapstick sent another wave of heat to your core, the throbbing becoming more prominent.

“go, before emmy gets impatient.”

you smirked, “yes daddy.”

jj couldn’t help but attempt to playfully smack your butt as you rolled off the bed, barely getting off with a cheeky tongue poking out from in between your teeth as you made your way to the bathroom.

god, she was so in love with you.

taglist: @jayden-prentiss @idkwhatever580 @multifandomlesbianic @softestqueeen @xx-spooky-little-vampire-xx @caseycabotsvu

[obigem]

In the silence that followed the end of the ceremony, each member of the Fletcher family who was old enough to feel the gravity of this moment took their time with it.

For Andrea, it wasn't just difficult because she knew Cam was hurting, but Henry meant a lot to her too.

He always embraced her like she was his real daughter. If it wasn't for Henry, she may never have been able to forgive herself after everything she went through with Cam. She loved him like a second father, and he would definitely be a missing piece in her heart.

He would be a missing piece of Cordelia's heart too. She adored her grampy. He'd always been there. Henford was her grandfather. But now he was gone and being here and not being able to see him, it felt wrong. Her heart ached such an intense pain she'd never experienced before.

And then there was Camille, who didn't know how to feel about any of this.

Her head told her this was fine. Grampy was old. Old people die. It was the natural order. But seeing the pained looks of her mother, father, sister, brothers' faces. It disturbed her in an unexpected way.

The boys were still very much confused about the homegoing ceremony. So much so that after the reception commenced, Andros burst into tears.

"Grampy's photos are everywhere, but I looked and looked, and I can't find him Daddy." The tears spilled uncontrollably from his face.

"Aww, baby boy, it's OK." Cam tried to calm him. He was always quite useless in the face of his childrens' tears. He hated to see it and it always made him turn to mush, but he had to try. "Grampy, he's....with Grammy Cordie now. She's someone he loves so don't be sad."

"So Grampy went to see Grammy Cordie, and then he'll come back?"

"Well...no, Champ. Grammy Cordie, she isn't—can't—well, when people get older, they start a new journey, one they can't come back from."

"So, I'll never see Grampy again?" Andros's bottom lip started to quiver.

"I...I don't know." It was the best answer he could muster. He didn't want to say anything to make Andros cry more, but he wasn't like Dre. He couldn't sell him a story of the Sylvan Glade. He didn't believe in any of that. On days like these, it would've been easier if he did.

[say-hwaet]

High Sierra: A Red Dead Redemption Story

Chapter Six: The Outlaws and the In-laws Next Chapter: Seven

Arthur finishes shaving his face and washes his razor in the bathroom sink. Looking at himself in the mirror, he does see that he has aged. Perhaps it was being out in the sun for many hours of the day, the stress of the last three years, or a combination of both. He wonders why any woman would be interested in him.

"You're not fooling anyone," he says out loud to himself. He backs away from the sink and turns to grab his shirt hanging on the door knob. Putting it on, he hears a knock on the door. "Yeah?"

"Grampy wants to know if you're ready to go, Daddy." It’s Isaac, his voice somewhat muffled from behind the door.

"Yep, I'll be right out." He straightens out his shirt collar and opens the door. Isaac stands in the doorway in green shorts and a buttoned shirt with parrots on it. "Well, you clean up nicely, son!"

"Grammie helped me pick it out!"

"Shoah," he smiles. "Let's head out to the car."

As Arthur plans to take Isaac home after the cookout, Arthur is taking his car separately. Given the option, Isaac decides to ride with his grandparents, leaving Arthur to ride alone with Copper. So much for loyalty.

Following Hosea, they begin the long drive back to the city, where the Marstons live. They live in a nice suburb, with barbecues, pool parties, and a nearby golf course. Truly the life of luxury.

Arthur never liked being in the city. When he went to college, he had to reside in the dorms his first year and absolutely detested it. The small quarters weren’t the problem, but the noise and endless parties. Arthur preferred a whiskey in the corner of a room while reading his textbooks. Regardless, the city and the dorms gave him the same feeling: dirty and crowded.

Without having Isaac in the car with him, he can be alone with his thoughts. He begins to think about where he is in life and where he wants to be. He started to think about what Hosea said. Why hasn't he married Eliza? Is it commitment issues, fear, the desire for independence, or a combination of all three? Maybe if Mary had never re-entered his social circle, he would have eventually asked Eliza to marry him, but now it's not so straightforward. Not anymore.

And now he has different obstacles in his way. His job and Isaac's cancer. He couldn't possibly think about marriage, at least, not yet.

***

Pulling up into the driveway, Arthur steps out of his SUV and feels the heat of the sun. There are no trees nearby to cast their shade, and he squints his eyes. Once his eyes adjust, he sees the rest of his family get out of Hosea's truck. He turns for a moment to open the back passenger door of his SUV and Copper jumps out. He energetically turns around and as Arthur begins to meet up with his family, Copper follows closely.

Music can be heard from behind the house, but it sounds fresher than a stereo...live music?

"Looks like the band is playing," Hosea calls to Arthur, as he catches up to them.

Arthur nods, smiling softly. "It sure sounds like it. They sound pretty good!"

"Of course, they do," Bessie says matter-of-factly and she takes her grand baby’s hand. "Let's go in.”

As they head up the front steps, the gate to the backyard swings open. A tall man in a red dress shirt and black slacks approaches them. The many rings on his fingers glimmer in the sun.

"Hosea!" Dutch calls, waving.

"Dutch!" Hosea turns to go back down the steps to embrace his long-time friend. "I almost didn't recognize you without being in a suit!"

"Oh, this is a casual gathering, my good friend. I'd hate to get mustard on a thousand-dollar piece of Italian art."

They hug each other, laughing. Dutch steps aside from Hosea and sees who has accompanied him to the cookout. "And Bessie, how nice to see you."

Bessie smiles. "Hello, Dutch.” And then she looks down at Isaac. “Do you remember my grandson?"

Dutch squats down to look at the young boy standing in front of her. "This couldn't be Isaac? You were such a string bean when I last saw you." Isaac smiles shyly. "You look so much like your mother."

Isaac’s eyes light up, that curiosity proving Dutch’s observation. Every time Arthur and Eliza have talked about it, she’s always insisted that he looks mostly like his father. But Arthur can’t deny the resemblance in their eyes, their curiosity, and softness of spirit. Isaac is like his mother. "You know my mom?"

"Of course, I do! Lovely woman." He stands and looks at Arthur. "I know everyone."

"Somehow, that don't surprise me," Arthur comments, extending a hand to Dutch. Dutch shakes it and uses his other hand to clap Arthur's shoulder.

"Good to see you, son."

Arthur feels somewhat awkward, as Dutch was one of the three people that witnessed the event at the last party. "Hi, Dutch."

"How have you been?"

Arthur shrugs and answers vaguely. "Oh, fine. Glad to see you're doing well."

Dutch grins from ear to ear. "Never better! I've got big plans for this group, big plans! We've got advertising, we've got PR, we have a bodyguard, and we have a makeup artiste." The look he gives Arthur indicates there's something special about the makeup artist, meaning it has a feminine shape.

Arthur snorts. Dutch will never cease to do something new, or spare no expense. "Bodyguard? Really?"

"Why sure! I'd ask you, but you're all caught up in protecting baby bunnies and little birdies."

Arthur rolls his eyes. "It's more than that, Dutch."

Dutch replies with a hint of sarcasm and condemnation. "Oh-oh of course it is! Now, let's go back to the shindig, shall we? John's been talking about nothing but you boys since this morning!"

Dutch leads the way as Hosea catches up to walk aside his friend. "How's Annabelle, Dutch?"

Dutch gives his friend a bitter look. "Annabelle's off to see her sister."

"Is that so...?" Hosea's voice drifts off, already knowing why she isn't here to celebrate the band's first tour.

Arthur, too, knows. Perhaps the makeup artiste has something to do with it. Dutch has always been one for the ladies. They just can't seem to resist the fashion sense and ol' Dutch charm. Regardless of age, he has always seemed to charm his way in and out of anything. Poor Annabelle loved him to a fault, and Arthur can never see her leaving him. She would be back, like always.

Arthur begins to look around. There is a good amount of people here, some have gathered in groups and are socializing. There are some children who are running around with balloons, so it is safe to assume that these people are family to the band members. As a group of children run by, Arthur recognizes one of them as the four-year-old John "Jack" Marston. Jack glances at them as he passes then quickly stops, recognizing them.

"Uncle Arthur!" he cheers and runs to him.

"Hiya, Jack!" Arthur greets, as he picks the boy up to give him a hug.

Isaac looks up at Jack and smiles. Jack sees him and waves. "Isaac, hi!"

"Hi,” Isaac replies softly. He isn’t as outgoing as Jack is. That is something he gets from both Eliza and Arthur. In fact, it is by chance that they ever met. A simple accident and happenstance. Like as though fate couldn’t have planned it any better.

Jack studies his friend and sees Isaac's scar. He frowns and points a small finger. "What happened to your head?"

Arthur quickly clears his throat. "Uh, Jack, why don't you and Isaac go play, huh?" Arthur puts Jack down, who seems to forget he had asked a question.

"Okay!" Jack sings.

Isaac points a finger at the balloon floating above Jack’s head. "Hey, Jack, where did you get that balloon?"

"Mama was making them,” Jack says as he turns, already on the move again. I can show you!"

"Sure," Isaac smiles and follows Jack as they run off in a different direction. Copper watches for a moment and looks up at Arthur. Arthur nods and Copper takes off after the children.

Dutch and the rest have already moved on, and Arthur walks quickly to catch up to them. Passing by someone manning the grill, they stop in front of the band which is finishing a set. They have a simple setup, but it is clear that they are a full band. Sean McGuire mans the drums, Javier Escuella with guitar, and John plays the bass as he sings into the microphone. Two women that Arthur doesn't recognize are doing background vocals, while one plays the violin. Together, they make a fine country rock band.

Javier plays a quick riff on his guitar and leaps into the microphone.

"Dejé mi corazón contigo en St. Denis,

pero si me llamas te digo que "¡Si!"

botella tras botella,

que no pudieron reemplazar,

¡las estrellas, las estrellas,

en tus hermosos ojos...!"

Then John comes back in again, with the vocalists joining in:

"But you were a tame queen,

I was a wild thing,

You were of the city,

I was the country

And we could never be!"

Another musical riff and both Javier and John join the microphone.

"'Cause I am an outlaw!

An outlaw

On the run!"

Sean hits hard on the drums and John strums one time and lets it ring until it fades. Those who are gathered applaud and cheer. John bows and gestures to the rest of his band, who all take a bow.

"I guess they're done?" Arthur asks out loud.

"Oh, they'll be playing again," Dutch reassures him. "But they've gotta mingle with the fans." Dutch approaches the band, who are gently setting their instruments aside. "Well done, gentlemen! And oh, ladies." He looks over at the backup singers who giggle.

"Thanks, Dutch." John says. John never called Dutch "Dad" like Arthur had called his adoptive parents. Dutch and Annabelle adopted John when he was twelve, but it seems that their relationship has always been more like a business transaction. Deep down, Dutch has a good heart, but he is always about image. And money.

Dutch walks off to greet some other guests, leaving them to their own devices.

John sees Arthur and eagerly steps off the stage to greet his brother from another mother.

"Arthur!" They take each other by the arm and hug. "Good to see you, brother."

"Good to see you too, John.” When they break away, he gestures to the bandstand with a swing of his arm. “Looks like you got yourself quite the group!"

"Oh yeah, all part of Dutch's plan," he scoffs, his voice more raspy than usual. "It was his idea to sing the whole album for this get-together. My voice better hang on, otherwise, I'm gonna lose it."

"You could just tell him no," Arthur chuckles.

John shakes his head. "I can fire a manager, but I can't fire a manager who happens to be my dad."

"I could see how that would be difficult," Arthur nods.

John comes beside Arthur and wraps an arm around his shoulder. "So how's Isaac doing?"

The tone of the conversation shifting, Arthur’s smile falls. "I wish I had good news…”He pauses, swallowing hard. “His cancer's back."

John removes his arm and swears under his breath. "Then what was all that treatment for?" he asks, his brow furrowed. They both continue to walk about the yard, the sounds of other conversations and laughter filling the property.

Arthur appreciates John’s empathy, someone why shares in the anguish he’s been holding inside his chest. He rolls his shoulders, tucking his chin. "That's what I thought, but Eliza has hope that this new treatment will work."

"Eliza, huh?" John gives Arthur an inquisitive look. "So...how's that going? Heh, or should I even ask?"

Arthur sighs, might as well tell him, given he saw the exchange that started this mess. "It's...better than I thought. But I'm taking a step away from everything. I don't want anyone hurt."

John nods his head, clapping Arthur on the shoulder. "Hey, that's a good plan, Arthur. I've always known that you were a sensitive type."

Arthur gives him a look, but it fails to conceal his smirk. "Hey—"

John then leans in and lowers his voice a tad. "But I need to warn you, Dutch has hired on some new people to represent the band."

Arthur thinks about the bodyguard and beautiful woman that Dutch hired. "Yeah, he did mention that."

"Sure, but did he say who?"

Arthur shrugs, lifting a brow. "Some makeup artist?"

"Yeah, but that's not—"

Arthur doesn't need John to finish that sentence. A few feet away, Dutch is working his charm on a lady, a woman with black hair, in a turquoise party dress and pearls, and little black heels.

It's Mary.

Arthur feels himself freeze in his stride, turning away from her. "Why did he bring her here?"

"She's our advertising,” John explains with a regrettable sigh.

Arthur places a palm on his forehead, eyes wide. "You've got to be kidding me, since when?"

"A week ago?"

He looks at John sharply and points his thumb behind him, in her direction. "He saw what happened!"

John shrugs his shoulders, narrowing his eyes. "You think my dad cares about drama? He creates it for a living!" Arthur quickly walks in the opposite direction and tries to avoid being seen. John follows. "I'm sorry, Arthur."

Arthur shakes his head. He doesn’t want John to feel bad about it. He wasn’t the one kissing her. "It ain't your fault."

"Sure, but that doesn't mean I'm happy for you."

"Do you think she saw me?"

John looks back and after a moment he shakes his head. "She was talking to Dutch, and she was looking right at him."

Arthur looks at John with half lidded eyes and lips forming a flat line, unimpressed. "It's called peripheral vision, John."

John waves off the correction dismissively. "Whatever.” Then suddenly, his eye brightens and he lightly smacks Arthur’s arm. “Hey, have you said hi to my wife?”

"Nope, we just got here."

He points to the house. "She's probably inside. Let's go see."

John leads Arthur past another group, under the patio, and through the sliding doors. It has been a while since Arthur has been here. Going through the back, they pass the living room, down a hallway, and into the kitchen. It is no surprise to see Abigail, hard at work, cutting watermelon. She brushes away her bangs and looks up. "Oh! Arthur! When did you get here?"

Arthur waves at her. "Not too long ago. Isaac is running around with Jack."

Abigail smiles, smoothening her hair with a swipe of her palm. "Oh, that's great, how is the boy?"

"They say his cancer is back," John answers, coming up to her and taking a slice of watermelon.

Abigail clicks her tongue, her smile instantly disappearing. “Oh no. Arthur, I'm so sorry. You know I don't work in the cancer unit, but if I did, he would be my favorite patient," she reaches over and squeezes his arm empathetically.

Arthur feels a lump in his throat and quickly swallows it, nodding his head. He has to keep it in, like he does everything else. "Yeah, he's a good kid."

"How is Eliza taking all this?"

Arthur catches the side-eye from John before answering Abigail. She also had the pleasure to see the exchange and Arthur’s sure she and John have talked about it. "She's taking it hard, we both are."

Abigail nods, understanding. "I'm sure. I haven't heard from her in a couple of days, so I was starting to worry. Now I can see why."

"Yeah, well, at least she talked to you."

Abigail gives John a nervous look, then looks back at Arthur and smiles. "Well, I am glad that you and Isaac could make it. Jack has been so excited! He needed something to be happy about, on account of John leaving on tour."

Arthur puts his hands in his Jean pockets, turning to John. "How long are you going to be gone, John?"

"Three months. We are going eastward, stopping in a few cities, finally landing in NYC."

Arthur lifts his brow, impressed. "Sounds like quite the trip."

"I'll say," Abigail says under her breath, as she aggressively chops at the watermelon.

"It'll go by fast." John's attempt to reassure her doesn't appear to be working, as she taps his hand when he reaches for another slice.

"But it won't be long before Dutch has you go on another tour." She adjusts her posture and voice to mimic her father-in-law, "'Just one more tour and we're in! Just. One. More. Album and we're in, son!" She chops the watermelon again. "It never ends!"

John draws closer to his wife, lowering his voice. "Hey, we've talked about this already, Abigail, do we need to rehash it in front of Arthur?"

"Well, we got to see them fight, now it's our turn!"

"Abigail..."

Abigail goes to speak, then stops herself. She looks to Arthur and her expression softens. "I'm sorry, Arthur. Please forget I said anything."

Arthur waves it off. "I think I'm going to see what Isaac is up to. Hopefully, he isn't getting into something he shouldn't." Arthur steps back and turns around, soon hearing John and Abigail muttering to each other.

He feels his phone in his pocket vibrating and quickly pulls it out. His caller ID says it's Charles.

He answers. "Charles?"

"Arthur, are you at home?"

"No, I'm at a party...or something. What's going on?"

"Can you get to a TV?"

Arthur looks back and sees Abigail and John busy talking, so he goes to their family room where he last remembered the TV sat.

"Yeah, hang on." He enters the family room and turns on the TV. "It's on."

Charles’ tone still remains calm, but there is a budding urgency in his voice. "Go to the local news channel."

Arthur doesn't have cable TV at home, so it takes him a minute to use the remote. "Yeah, give me a sec."

Using the menu, he searches for the local news channel and selects it.

On the TV screen, a young woman stands in front of what looks like orange tape bordering a selected area of woods. He recognizes it to be a campground at a state park where he has patrolled. There are several people in the background. Upon further inspection, he sees Charles on the phone!

Arthur nearly spits and he takes another step toward the television. "Charles?!"

On the screen, he sees Charles’ mouth move, matching the words as he speaks to him over the phone. "I'm hanging up now. I don't want them to know I called you."

"But—"

The call ends, but Arthur continues to watch as the scene unfolds.

A nameplate appears on the screen underneath the news reporter. It reads, Tilly Jackson, High Sierra News Reporter.

"We are here now in the northern region of Redwood Falls, where another hunting accident has been reported. It was found by a game warden, who chooses to remain anonymous, on one of their routine patrols. The identity of the body has not been disclosed at this time, to allow time to contact the family, but we do now have the identity of the first victim of a hunting accident. His name is Thomas Downes, and he is known in the community for philanthropic work at homeless shelters and church functions. He was out on a boar hunting trip and had accidentally shot himself while at camp.

"Now, this recent accident has similar circumstances, so to ensure that precautions are being taken, this area of the park is being temporarily closed. Parks and recreational areas that permit more checkpoints and security will remain open until a new procedure can be in place.

"I have here with me Special Operations Warden Michael Barnes, who has been leading this investigation. Warden Barnes, what can you tell us about the incident?" She points her microphone at him. The smug look on his face clearly shows that he is enjoying the attention.

"Well, Ms. Jackson, this is again another typical case where a hunter does not take necessary precautions in gun safety. It is important to follow all safety guidelines that the Department of Conservation provides. In order to receive your permit, you need to be schooled in gun safety. This victim did not have a permit, and was most likely not properly trained."

Ms. Jackson pauses for but a few seconds, before asking another question. "Is it true that this victim was alone?"

Michael nods his head slowly, a smug grin on his face as he eyes the young reporter. "Yes, and I thank you for asking that question," his attempt at flattery makes Arthur cringe. "You should never go hunting alone. You never know what dangers you may come across."

Ms. Jackson looks unimpressed, moving on to her next question, "Could any of these indicate suicide?"

"Certainly not! With the first accident, there was no suicide note, and after speaking to his family, there was no indication that the victim would commit suicide. Mr. Downes was just a happy-go-lucky dude--er man."

"Is there a coincidence to these accidents happening so closely in succession?"

Michael shakes his head. "Of course not, they are accidents. The only thing they have in common is that they are both so tragic."

The reporter nods. "Understood. Thank you, Mr. Barnes."

"That's Special Agent Barnes."

Ms. Jackson does not respond but turns back to the camera. “Back to you, Tim."

Arthur has heard enough, he can get more details from Charles later. He turns the TV off.

Another victim. The fact that Charles called him suggests there was something that wasn't right. An accident was an accident, and it was all paperwork, but to have another one so quickly...It was another murder.

And that meant something darker was lurking.

There could be a serial killer, ready to kill again.

And Arthur wants to do something about it.

Sorry this one took so long! Been kinda busy with other things, but I hope to get back and post chapters.

Tag Requests:

@photo1030 @moeitsu @cassietrn

[masonsbfgaming]

HEY MON!!!!! I always want 2 know more about Val so here's a couple of questions!

Tell me one fact about him that you've never said but have always been dying to tell!

What's his relationship with Tina and Verda like? Did he tell either of them about the supernatural or not?

What's his relationship with Bobby and Douglas? Which path did he take with them?

omg hello hi 🫶 glad to see u here i always appreciate it when i can spew bs abt my ocs i hope this doesnt get long (update: it did)

1; val fact i wanted to tell 🤔 is probably that in my hc he spent some of his high school years in russia with his grandparents. (bc i think maybe rebecca got too busy, got too scared out of nowhere, or rooks side of the family insisted he learn more of his other side, who knows, i dont have a solid reason)

val already spoke fluent russian by then bc maybe rooks parents were a bit pushy and wanted to have a significant part in his upbringing so he visited them for extended vacation, but he had a brief time he lived there too, in my mind 😔 they lived in a much less fancy area than he does in the uk (wayhaven is there to me) so he was integrated into the world of slavic traditions over time (dont be mad at him if he reflexively smells your water bottle looking things) with the help of grampy and grammy 👍 also he does speak brazilian protugese due to rebecca. those and english he's fluent in but he knows a good chunk of things in spanish (i hc he learned it to impress bobby's family in uni years perhaps) as well as japanese for some reason (probably mandatory class for said uni?) (he originally took chinese mandarin but he cried his eyes out over how hard it was on week two and switched immediately)

2 ; vals relationship w tina and verda is. i'd say like alvin and the chipmunks. they r all soooo annoying together (yes even verda gets there) and even with bravo being vals found family, he's still very close to them. real friends who stick by you like that are rare and he knows it. so far i do Not have a canon in my mind for who'd he telly if he told either of them at all 😭 i feel like him keeping it hidden would be just hypocrisy because he was mad at rebecca for hiding it from him in the first place, but then again. it was a major thing he would've needed to know to protect himself in his own life, considering his blood made him a target. tina doesn't seem to have anything life altering unknowing entanglements with the supernatural world (as far as i'm aware??) like verda. val would probably want to help eric with that, because that kind of "lying" (it's not exactly lying as much as it's just. Not Telling?) takes a toll on someone, especially if it's someone they love dearly. from vals point of view, he'd want to help right that, but he's also not the type of person to meddle in people's business. so the canon wouldn't apply to him i think, he'd just. help eric behind the scenes or something. (though. ig him taking the metaphorical bullet for eric would make sense because what he IS is a 'die for you' type 😔 let's say he tells verda in canon)

3; this one is interesting bc i've been playing bobby route since the beginning of time, like. his and bobby's story is so elaborate and they have this complex relationship of "i hate you you're the worst thing that happened to me but i'll never let anything happen to you and i'll never let you go lonely" idk what caused that for them. i know on bobby's side is bc he fumbled the baddest bitch and he regrets it for the rest of his life, but val?? i guess it's just. "can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em"? anyway i have a whole dramatic playlist for them and it's led by rescue me by onerepublic & also my favorite line from that collection is "had the world in the palm of your hand/but you fucking choked" . it's actually crazy, i think it would make sooo much more sense for val to be on douglas route, bc one of his life's dreams was to Be a father and that could kinda manifest there i mean. having to keep doug safe and providing him a place of comfort, the ordeal with him turning supernatural and then val leading him into that life, guiding him through it like he wishes his mother had.... it would be nearly perfect ?? idk what got into me. chalk that up for bobby pretty privilege 🥲 also maybe the fact that i'm obsessed with exes to lovers for some reason (although val would defnitiely not touch that man w a ten foot pole, but. the Vibe, yknow.)

that's mostly it i always appreciate seeing u🫵 around im passing out

[softplumbs]

Maggie Clemens - the curious kleptomaniac, friend of foxes

Maggie was 5 when her family dynamic completely changed. Her grammy was now dropping her off at kindergarten while her dad would come pick her up and take her to get ice cream (only on Thursdays! As tradition demands!) While her older sister Maeve did look more anxious than usual, and her mom would visit them less and less now, Maggie was too busy enjoying her outdoorsy childhood to fully understand or, frankly care, what that meant.

Admittedly when they moved, she could hardly keep her tears from running down her face as that would mean leaving behind her grandparents, Cooper, the birds...her treehouse..the daily walks to the park with her grampy. Fortunately, Maeve was always a good older sister and cooked up a plan to get Maggie on board - A COW NAMED MABEL. As cliche as the name goes, Maggie thought it would be hilarous to have a "3rd sister whose name starts with an M".. a .. cow sister. Since they were moving into a farm house, where farm animals live...it only makes sense she would see her dream fulfilled.

Now 6 and a half, Maggie is a big girl and her days are busier than usual. "The cow deal" as Maggie and her father call it, says that she HAS to get good grades in school, work on her manners and find at least ONE other thing to obsess over - painting maybe? Crafting? Singing? ANYTHING that could keep Tucker sane for the next 20 or so years when he'll finally be ready to send Mags on her way to explore adulthood (subject to change, the age is somewhere between 26 and 68)

She loves collecting bugs and copying everything her older sister, Maeve, does. Which is adorable, but extremely scary for poor Tucker.

[howshouldibegin]

I have a need to go on a little work-related rant on a platform that is a little less doxxable than FB or Twitter, so smash that J key if ya wanna skip past.

So! Context. I sell appliances in a home reno store, just signed on as full time last month. I ALSO work with one of my aunts, in the same department; she retired to part time, so we basically just switched positions (no nepotism, there's a whole hierarchy in here that she and I are fairly equal on).

Other context, my grandfather, who is also my aunt's father, passed away last April, and was cremated. She and I both booked a week off in September to go do the commital, and to spend time with family we don't otherwise see very often; in September, she was full-time and I was part-time, working in the same department, and our time off requests were granted. HOWEVER, in September, Hurricane Fiona slammed through the Maritimes the same weekend we had planned for, so we canceled the commital. Grampie's been in my aunt's closet since then. (You can laugh, he'd find it funny too.)

We have planned for attempt #2 on the first weekend in June. My aunt and I both booked off the week two months ago, and my direct supervisor, let's call her S for Supportive, was all, "No problem! We'll make it work!" S unfortunately did not actually go in and approve our requests, and she is off for at least six weeks. The manager in charge of all special order departments (appliances, doors, blinds, etc), let's call him B because he's being a Butt, asked me yesterday asking if I could choose another week to book off because it's really hard to let two people in the same department be off for a whole week.

September 2022, one full time associate (my aunt) and one part time associate (me) request the same week off for a commital, and got approved.

June 2023, one full time associate (me) and one part time associate (my aunt) request the same week off for a commital, and got pushback.

I told B that we requested the same week off so we could bury my grandfather. B made a "yikes!" face and hasn't given me a definitive answer yet if my time off will be approved. From context, I gather that my aunt's has already been approved. And he's off until Monday at least, so I get to stew.

This is a store of over 150 employees, and while yes, not everyone in the store can sell appliances, nor should they, there is one other full time associate, two part timers with full availability, one part timer who can work evenings and weekends, and two part timers and one full timer in our neighbouring department that can sell them in a pinch. Plus S should be back by then. There's the same coverage now as there was in September.

I'm gonna admit, if mine gets denied, I will not be okay with that. I'm not saying that I should get approved over my aunt, we should both be approved. And I am not above emotional manipulation, if it takes telling B that this will only be my THIRD opportunity to visit my dad's grave since 1997, I'll do it. (Grampie's being buried with Grammie, who is buried next to my dad. At least half that cemetery is filled with my relatives, going back a few generations.)

If I get denied, I will be very much not okay.

[dark9896]

Family Surprises [Klaus x Reader]

Requested by Anonymous 🥳

Klaus just couldn't help himself, skirting around the back of the car to open your car door for you. Part of his actions were spurred on by wanting to keep up "appearances" for his parents, partly spurred on by his own desires to be a gentleman, and partly because you were pregnant with a second little baby; thought the bump wasn't showing just yet. Though Klaus hadn't accounted for little baby Mina to undo her own buckles; even if it did take her a few tries before climbing over you to get to Papa first.

It was all taken in stride however. Klaus straightened up, Mina clinging to the edge of his vest as he offered you a hand out of the vehicle. Once you were on your feet, Klaus slipped his arm around your waist. Gently and lovingly supporting you as best he could on the walk up to his childhood home. It wasn't often that he had enough free time from work to visit his parents, though they had not let that stop them from offering a hundred times to pay the fare to see their baby boy and his darling family.

You teased Klaus about this simply because he couldn't accept compliments very well without looking like a Christmas light. Despite the blatant open affection, both of Klaus's parents seemed absolutely delighted to see you again. The last time was during a visit shortly after Mina's first birthday, where they spoiled the baby girl with toys and plushies.

As soon as Mina saw where she was... "Grammy! Grampy!"

She tried wiggling out of Klaus's grip. Forcing both of you to stop, given that Klaus was not letting go of you for anything if he could help it; so that your giant teddy bear of a husband could set Mina down properly. Since this was private property, and the sheer number of trained combat butlers and maids on the premise, Klaus felt it was perfectly fine to let Mina run towards his parents.

A little two-year-old toddling away as fast as her little legs could carry her, right into Grammy Reinherz's arms for a tight hug.

"Oh sweetie, Enkelin Shatzi!" Mama Reinherz couldn't contain her grinning, nor would she try, "How nice to see you again! My you've grown so much!"

Papa Reinherz had to stoop a little, but gently patted little Mina's back as a tiny smile crept across his face. As you and Klaus neared, all that could be heard was Mina's little baby babbling, explaining what she did before the flight. Though Papa Reinherz's attention slowly diverted to the two of you.

"Grüße, mein Kinder." His voice was so very deep, you couldn't help but wonder if his vocal cords would snap, "How was your flight?"

"It went well, Vater." Klaus nodded, "Mina was a little frightened when we took off. Though [Name] soothed her fears rather quickly."

"Gute, Gute." He nodded, "And how are you [Name]?"

You smiled a little, extra formal and extremely polite was just how Klaus's family was, "I'm fine. Though we do have some news, maybe it would be best to tell everyone? Assuming the rest of Klaus's siblings are here?"

That caught Mama Reinherz's attention in a heartbeat, "Oh [Name] Liebe, why didn't you say so sooner? Come, come!"

You wondered if saying it like that had told both of Klaus's parents everything too soon, but given that you were soon sitting in the large den and being served tea... Well, this was as good a time as any. Especially with all of Klaus's family in the room. So many nieces, nephews, cousins, and siblings all in one place and there was still room for a small party of 30.

Klaus was a teeny bit nervous about this reveal, uncertain how his family would actually be about this. Certainly, they would be congratulatory about having another child. But would they think the two of you were going too fast? Would they think poorly of you two? Or would Klaus and Gilbert be unloading a little too much at home?

"I'm pregnant again." You were more nervous because of how intensely focused everyone was, Klaus squeezed your hand gently, "We don't know the gender quite yet since I'm not out of the first trimester."

Mama Reinherz looked like she was just told that Christmas came early. Klaus's two sisters had similar looks on their faces, though his father and brothers had much less of a reaction. You could practically see the party planning itself, knowing that you, Klaus, and Mina wouldn't return home until the party was thrown.

All the little children stopped in their tracks to look at the adults. Mama Reinherz was glowing, slipping back and forth between German and English as she bounced around planning a baby shower with Head Maid Bates taking notes. Klaus wanted to try stopping his mother and sisters from planning all this, though his father shook his head slightly. This was an inevitability, best to just let this happen.

"And of course, little Mina can't be left out!" Mama Reinherz lifted the giggly little girl up, "A nice little party for her as well to avoid leaving her out!"

There was really no stopping your mother-in-law. Though you couldn't stay longer than 15 days, Klaus would get too nervous being away from work longer than that. Not that his family would let that stop them from doing as much as possible and following the three of you with these parties if need be.

[britneyshakespeare]

there is so much merchandise out there that's like "mom life" but i would KILL for a nice sweatshirt that had "ECCENTRIC UNWED AUNT" embroidered on the front

[hydratedcognizance]

individuality

Anyways

Just needing to journal about what i dont know

I just feel kinda in a spot where i feel overstimulated but im also thriving in lots of ways

Like being in survival mode is helping me thrive

I easily let go of things

And i can help others now

Fearing being away but also fearing being out of sight forever

Just close enough not to get too attached

Far enough away where i feel lonely all the time

a longing to connect

on a level that touches the soul

someone who understands and feels the way you do

exhausted of this fake superficiality that plagues the nations

all these expectations driving us farther away from our truth

probably less than half the population doesn’t know what they want

as i listen to my friends 2 year old scream cry at 730am i realize i would probably neglect my child like my mum did me lol emotionally

lol, but society and value and all these scales they give us to measure our worth in society with

leave us in those same systems to prison us

it’s ridiculous

i come from a small immediate family

grammy, grampy,

mum, auntie, uncle

me

auntie uncle never married

mum married a few times

grammy had open heart surgery lol always wonder if that had something to do with it, god gave the family a little heart restructring

well when you thinnk of how treturous the war times wouldve been

like even family on my side they had family die immigrating to canada

that’s 2 generations from us

not a lot of time to purge emotions from the body after such oppression and loss

a lot of us are dealing with that now

we are purging old belief systems and old ways of thinking

and we are coming into freedom

of self

of life

by healing our bodies

all of them

its guided

evolution

anyways yeah so i wonder as far as like fearful avoidant anxious attachment style is generational lol

yeah it’s been a ride i can tell that things are definitely moving in the right direction but yeah the lonliness and yearning for connection is very strong today

its a pull between two things yet they are in my life currently and i dont want those

its like ive outgrown my surroundings

once again

fuck this happens like every fucking month lately

lol

perhaps this curse is a blessing, is stability in myself

i do feel strong right now

but am working on communication and channeling anger lol ive done it my whole life to my mother so unpacking that

real detriment to my family connection, just consistently pushing each other away and then coming back because its burried never talking about anything

its like a total bitch to talk about shit where you have to be vulnerable, i can to a certain point but my family is not like that at all

seeing a new side of myself

that was the love i was taught

its the shadow

the love i desire and give is through that

because thats the darkness clouding me from seeing clearly

emotional check in: feeling anxious, or more like electrified lol happy i’m really utilizing these platforms in an authentic way, it feels easy rather than forcing myself to be a certain way

like how everyone else does shit

individuality

[sawx2023]

I should talk to grammy and grampy. They were chill even when mom was telling them "my horrible child is being transed of gender to spite me" they still used my name and supported and loved me. They weren't mad. Even mocky and pocky think I should, I'm just scared and I forget. I'll forget this tomorrow. But I miss them. Having family is nice, I always forget how nice it is until I remember when I just had it. I still remember from memory how to drive to their house, even though it's out in the country and my memory is shit. I should set a reminder

[princessmodelliar]

When I was little and would I go to my estranged grandparents’ house, their first floor had this weird black bathroom. Black toilet and sink. Black trim. Black wallpaper with white angels to contrast. One single photo was in the bathroom- a baby photo of my older half brother.

Grammy would latch onto one person. She had tunnel vision. Since I was little, since before I was born, it was Kris. He was literally a gift from god. Hence the angel themed bathroom dedicated to him. Grammy found out Kris was alive on the first anniversary of her mom’s death.

It’s so weird how people deal with grief. The first thing grampy did when Grammy died was renovate the bathroom completely.

[obigem]

Once the news of Henry's passing broke, it made for a somber end to Harvestfest.

The family wasted no time planning a pilgrimmage to Henford for the next day to see to it that Henry was properly laid to rest via the ceremony he described in his will.

Urgent messages were sent out to family and friends, notifying them of the untimely news. With the short notice, Cam didn't expect much of anyone would be able to make it, especially not with the nasty storm that hit Henford, knocking out the power.

But maybe that was for the best.

As he stood in front of the mirror, smoothing out his suit for the ceremony, he felt numb. It was like the world had fell away from him after Dre sat next to him at the Harvestfest table and whispered the news into his ear. It didn't feel real.

It was just a month ago that they'd visited him. He was in good health.

He'd just spoken on the phone with him not more than a few days ago, and he was so full of energy.

So how could he just be gone now?

The numbness created a bitter pit in his stomach he coudn't shake.

Cameron walked over and slumped himself into an armchair, letting out a heavy sigh.

In moments like these, it would make sense to take comfort in his memories. It's what helped when his mother passed. But he'd been avoiding that. He couldn't replay his last words to him.

At least when his mother died, the last thing he'd said to her before he never saw her again was that he loved her.

But with his dad...he winced as echoes of his yelling, his accusations toward him, his anger that he levied through the phone receiver filled his head.

He shook them away and went back to the numbness where it was safe.

Dre entered the room breaking his heavy concentration. It was a welcome relief.

"The boys are all dressed for the ceremony." She assured him. "Cordie and Millie are getting themselves ready as we speak."

"It's been a little hard to explain to the boys what's going on. Telling them that Grampy is with Grammy Cordie now is the explanation I'm going with, but neither of them really understand why that means he can never come see them again."

"With the girls, it's an entirely different situation. Of course they know their Grampy is gone, but it's like neither of them want to open up about their feelings. Cordie's completely clammed up and Camille keeps telling me she's fine, but I know she's not."

[say-hwaet]

HIGH SIERRA: A Red Dead Redemption Story

Chapter 4: Partners Summary: Being relieved for the rest of the day, Arthur stops by Eliza's place; just in time to receive some news on Isaac's doctor's appointment. Next Chapter: Five

Eliza stands in front of the kitchen sink rinsing off some potatoes. Isaac is coloring in a coloring book on the kitchen table, humming to himself. Her mind is on the appointment, as they have only been home for an hour, and the words that came out of the doctor's mouth repeat in her ear.

The chemotherapy isn't performing as well as we had hoped. We will need to try something different.

She feels defeated, or is it her pride? Arthur had expressed doubts about chemotherapy and wanted to go a different route, but Eliza had insisted that this was the best option. But now, it isn't working for their son. She knows that he will be coming by this evening, so she will need to tell him. Will he be upset, and say "I told you so?"

Despite the potential for an argument, she hopes to God that the new treatment they are suggesting will be effective. The last thing she wants is for her son to be a guinea pig. She doesn’t want to keep throwing him into therapy after therapy only for him to still die in the end.

Setting a large bowl on the counter, she begins to peel the potatoes in the sink.

She hears a knock at the door.

"Isaac, will you get the door please?"

"Sure, Mommy."

He hops out of the chair and walks out of the dining room and past the living room. Eliza hears the door open.

"Daddy!"

Eliza quickly turns to see Arthur standing in the entryway, picking up and hugging his son. Eliza quickly brushes her hair out of her face and tries to look busy, not that it is hard to do.

Arthur sets his boy down, rubbing the top of his head. "How's my partner in crime?"

Isaac rolls his head out from under his father’s large palm and takes hold of his arm. "We don't do crime, Daddy, we stop the crime!"

"Oh yeah, that's right. Protect the deer, huh?"

"And the rabbits!"

"And the rabbits," Arthur chuckles. He looks up and makes eye contact with Eliza, who quickly looks away.

Isaac looks up at his father, worry stretched across his face. "Are you just saying hello?"

Arthur casts a look down at his son and shrugs his shoulders. "Well, that's up to your mama."

"Why?"

"It's a long story, kid." Arthur begins to walk away from Isaac, who doesn’t let go of his arm, but holds it tight. Isaac doesn't want him to leave quickly like the last time. As soon as Arthur steps into the kitchen, Eliza turns around just in time for their eyes to meet. "Hi, Eliza."

Looking into those eyes of his, she feels her resolve of bitterness melting away, and the rush of anxiety begins to take its place. "Afternoon, Arthur."

With his free hand, he reaches for the back of his head and gives it a good scratch. "I was hoping I could take Isaac out to see his grandparents. They're planning a dinner and would like to see him."

"How late will you be?"

Arthur’s brow pinches. He almost looks guilty of something. "That's the thing. See, I was wondering if he could stay the night at my place, then bring him back in the morning."

Eliza watches their son's face as he processes what Arthur just said. In a fraction of a second, his face lights up as if he were the sun and lets go of Arthur to rush over to her. "Oh, Mommy! Can I? I wanna see Grampy and Grammie so bad!"

Eliza shrugs. "Oh, I don't know about overnight. He has his treatments."

Here it comes.

Arthur steps closer to Eliza and she feels her heart race in her chest. "Well, I know how to administer those. I was there when they gave us the chemo spiel, remember?"

Eliza slowly shakes her head, looking away. "It isn't chemo anymore."

Arthur furrows his brow, his voice becoming more sharp. "What do you mean, 'isn't chemo?'"

Eliza can already sense the tension building. She turns to their son. "Isaac, honey, why don't you go and make sure your homework is ready to go for school on Monday, huh?"

“Um, okay..." Isaac lets go of Arthur's hand and heads off into his bedroom. When she hears the door close, she turns to Arthur.

"Eliza, what happened at the doctor's?" he asks.

Eliza goes for a towel and begins to wipe her hands, but even after they’re already dry, she keeps wiping them off to give her hands something to do while he stares at her pointedly. "I had thought about texting you, but I didn't want to worry you while you were at work, so I waited until you came by tonight."

He steps closer and crosses his arms. "What did they say?"

No sense in sugar-coating it. With a deep sigh and exhale, she tells him. "They said that the chemo isn't working anymore. They want to try a new treatment, and they gave me a few things."

Arthur's eyes widen. "What? Why?"

"They said…” She blinks her lashes quickly to combat the tears. “...that the tumor is coming back."

Arthur takes a step back and tries to process what she just said. He strokes his chin and scratches his whiskers. He has always done that when he's frustrated, and Eliza was expecting it. Arthur’s face darkens, his eyes looking away from her, and she’s thankful for that. “How does a tumor come back when they cut open a boy's head and remove it? What are these doctors for if they can't even do that?"

Eliza takes an aborted step towards him, her brows lifted as she conveys worry. "Arthur, keep your voice down."

He looks at her sharply, pauses, then relaxes, his broad shoulders dropping. "I'm sorry."

Eliza shakes her head softly, exhaling. "Don't be. I was angry too when they told me. After selling it to us, and making it seem all so magical...our son is too unique, I guess."

There is a pregnant pause. After a moment, Arthur asks the real question, "So, what now?"

"If you agree, we will try this new treatment. It focuses on changing his diet, and taking a lot of pills."

"Do they have a pamphlet or something?"

"Yes." she walks over to the kitchen table and directs Arthur to a black bag. She unzips one of the sides and he sees sterile syringes. She pulls out a booklet from one of the pockets and hands it to him.

He begins to leaf through it. “A New Way to Heal, huh? Who did they reach out to for advertising?" He asks snarkily.

Eliza tilts her head and chastises him with a soft tone. "Arthur..."

He looks up at her and chortles, flippantly waving the pamphlet. "What? I'm serious."

She points to it, the opens her hand, asking to have it back. "I've read it, and I am willing to try it. It will just require a different routine."

"Did the doctor give another option?" He hands it to her.

Eliza fights back tears and clutches the pamphlet tightly. She has been avoiding a breakdown all day. "...No."

Arthur thinks about it. He never did like the idea of chemotherapy, after seeing his mother die of cancer when he was a boy, but when Isaac came out of surgery and had such a good comeback, he began to change his mind. Now, all of those doubts were realized, and his son could die. With this being the only option, was it even worth trying?

Now it’s time to ask another question. "Does this affect his finishing school?"

And to that she softly shakes her head. “No. He has only been going to school on Mondays and Wednesdays, anyway."

This is news to Arthur. And while he’s frustrated at this news, he makes it an effort to be calm for the sake of his son who is not too far away. “Well, where does he go the remainder of the time?"

Eliza doesn’t immediately answer, raising Arthur’s concern…and frustration. “Eliza?”

"He…he goes to a program at the hospital. They have people there that help cancer patients who are in between school and treatment. There he can interact with kids who are going through the same thing. And I wanted him to continue learning, as he's such a smart boy. I pick him up when I get off work."

Arthur pinches his brow and shifts on his feet. "Why didn't I know about this? I am the boy's father." He leans toward her points a finger firmly into his chest.

And she takes a step back, her voice quivering. “I'm sorry, Arthur, but we agreed to let him go to school as soon as he was well enough. The doctor suggested this was the best option for now, so I thought it would be fine. It's only for a few weeks anyway, as this school year will be over soon..."

"But does he have to be at that hospital all the time?" Arthur has been in there a fraction of what Isaac has, and he could hardly stand it as it was.

He gestures with her arms, opening them wide and palms open. "What else was I to do? I need to work."

"I could've..."

She shakes her head. "No, Arthur, we both know your job is more rigid than mine."

She’s right. They had talked about all of this before things changed between them. It was better for Eliza to adjust her schedule than for him to use his PTO. And for a while, it worked, but looking at Eliza, Arthur can see that she is stretched thin. "I know...What about my folks? You could've asked them."

"I don't feel it's right for me to ask them. Isaac has such a complicated routine, I couldn't ask them to watch him for days at a time."

Arthur rest a hand on his hip. "Eliza, they are his grandparents. They want to help. My mom is a veterinarian, remember? It may be animals, but she's familiar with the needles, and all the other rigamarole. "

"I don't want to burden anyone,” she argues, avoiding his gaze.

But Arthur persists, taking a step closer to her. The close proximity makes his heart pound in his chest, he can now smell the perfume she wears and the auburn flecks in her brown eyes. "Eliza. You realize how ridiculous that sounds. Isaac has a whole bunch of people who love him. Let them help if they want to. Would you like me to ask them tonight?"

Eliza pauses and bites her lip. “First, do you want to try this treatment for Isaac? If we do, you'll have to teach them what to do," she asks.

"We can try it. I will ask them tonight."

"Okay. I had to sign a waiver so that I could have the first kit. I wanted to talk to you before we officially use it for him and get another one. We will need to sign the paperwork authorizing the treatment."

"Thank you…for waiting."

She nods her head softly and almost reaches out to touch him, but instead crosses her arms. "Of course, Arthur. We are his parents."

She steps away from him to continue working on the potatoes. He watches her for a moment. He remembers their conversation earlier this morning, and what his dad had said. He needs to be apart from her. He needs to figure out what he wants. And the fact that his heart races just being in the same room as her, he realizes he needs to figure it out…and fast.

"Eliza?"

She doesn’t look back at him, instead continuing what she is doing. "Yes, Arthur?"

"I, erm...what are you doing?"

"I'm making breakfast potatoes."

"For dinner?"

She actually chuckles, her voice warm and soft. "Heh, no. For the church. They serve breakfast at the homeless shelter on Saturday mornings, and so I volunteered to make them some potatoes."

He comes up to the counter and leans on it. He knows he’s getting too comfortable, but can’t help himself. "Oh, I didn't know that."

"Yes, Reverend Swanson organizes it, and does such a good job."

His brow furrows pensively, recalling the name. "Wasn't he the preacher who married John and Abigail?"

She nods, her eyes cast downward as she continues to peel away. "Mmhm. He's a nice man."

"Sure."

Eliza nods as she peels the last potato. After setting it in the large bowl, she brings it to a cutting board and starts to dice them.

Arthur has always loved her cooking. If she wanted, she could probably start her own restaurant. And she'd be good at it.

Hell, she can do anything.

Good grief, he needs to get ahold of himself!

He steps away from the counter as an effort to get his mind back on track. "Eliza, I've been thinking about what you said, about figuring out what I want..."

She lifts her head and looks at him with her peripheral vision. "Okay…?"

"And, you're right. I think I really need to take a step back from everything and think about this. I do care about you and the boy, I just don't want to hurt you anymore."

She doesn't say anything, but they meet eyes and she glances away as she continues to dice the potatoes.

"I just wanted you to know that. Because I won't be coming to the house for a while."

"…What about Isaac?"

"I won't stay away from him, I just need to, erm..."

And in her usual way, she knows what he’s trying to say. "Stay away from me?"

He tucks his chin, now that it’s out in the open. "For a while, yes, until I know what I want."

"I understand."

They are quiet for a moment and Eliza begins to think about what he said. She can respect him for wanting to keep his distance. How can she help facilitate a good relationship with him and their son?

She thinks it’s best to change the subject. "You are here early, Arthur. Did you take the rest of the day off?"

He scratches the back of his head again. "Oh. Erm...sort of. Captain Monroe gave me leave after our patrols today."

That’s unusual. Many times she’s heard about his day at work, and she knows it could because of one thing. "Something happened at work, didn't it?"

And he thinks it’s best to be direct. "Yes."

"I know you can't talk about it, but can you tell me if it was bad?"

Arthur grimaces. "It's bad. What's worse is that we don't agree as to what happened."

Her eyes widen, showing genuine interest. "Who disagrees? Your captain?"

"No. Some power-hungry sonofa–"

“language…”

"Sorry. Some idiot who thinks he knows better than the rest of us. I don't know how he even got the position he has."

Eliza chuckles again, nodding knowingly. "I know a few of those."

"Who, your boss?"

She nods. "The owner. Mr. Bronte."

Mr. Bronte is one of those types of people that give business owners, or anyone with money, a bad name. While the forefront of his restaurant is high class service and amazing food, the underbelly would divert anyone away. Angelo Bronte is the person that people work hard for not out of respect, but of fear. "Yeah, I remember the stories you've told me."

"And I still got more if you have a few days." Arthur catches the smile on her face before she looks away.

"Well, I have the whole weekend now, so..." he chuckles.

They pause for a moment. They both can feel themselves getting too comfortable. To Eliza, it feels so natural for her to talk to him. Even with the tension that they have had, her heart, body, and soul want to be near him. They can come back together from weeks apart and roll back into a routine as if they were never away from each other. She wonders how can he not see it. How is it not obvious to him, but it is to her? But she needs to respect his choice. He wants to go about it the right way so that she isn't hurt. She knows she needs to back off.

"I had forgotten you had requested that time off," she says.

Arthur replies with a hint of bitterness in his throat. "Well, Captain Monroe insisted I take it off. I wasn't in the position to argue."

"You know, why don't you take Isaac for the whole weekend, then? You could take him horseback riding and exploring. All he ever talks about is the things you and he have collected."

"Right, our nature walks," he chuckles, fondly remembering the good times they've shared.

"He wants to do that again. I pray that one day he'll get his strength back, but..." She hesitates. She wrestles with the decision of whether to open up or not. She needed to not open her heart to him so much, as she didn't want to risk interfering with his. "I don't want to regret not letting him live as though he were the strong boy he used to be." She can feel the tears welling in her eyes and quickly turns away.

"I'd love to take him. Mom and Dad would love that very much. Will the kit last until then?"

"Ahem, yeah, it should. I had planned to stop by the hospital and collect more after talking with you, so we should be good. If there is any of it left, keep it at your place.” She finally turns back to look at him, her eyes glossy, making Just in case. We can make sure you have a full kit later."

"Alright. I am going to tell Isaac to get ready."

"Yeah, okay."

While her back is turned away from him, Arthur closes the kit bag up and heads to Isaac's room. Hoping that he is out of sight, Eliza lets herself cry a little. If she could, she would sob for days, just to release a small portion of what she keeps locked deep inside.

***

With the kit bag in hand, Arthur and his son head to his SUV. Isaac follows him to the back and Arthur unlocks the trunk and pops it open. Resting the kit bag inside, Isaac hands him his backpack. Setting it inside and after closing the trunk shut, Arthur makes his way to the front.

"There's a surprise for ya in the back seat."

Isaac looks up at him, with eyes bright and twinkling. “What is it?"

"Go in and have a seat." Arthur grins while getting in the driver's seat. Isaac jogs back to the right side of the car and opens the door. He looks inside and a large smile stretches across his face.

“Copper…!”

Arthur laughs joyfully as he hears the commotion in the back. He turns to see Copper excitedly wagging his tail and whining as he wriggles around Isaac. Isaac tries to hug him, but Copper is moving around too much.

"Copper, ha ha ha! Stop!" Isaac giggles.

"I think he missed you," Arthur says.

Copper whines like a puppy, his tail hacking the poor boy in the face, but Isaac doesn’t seem to mind. “I think so, too!"

Alright, that’s enough. "Copper, sit!"

The internal struggle is visible as Copper hesitates for a moment before moving backward and sitting in the seat.

"Isaac, is his harness and buckle still on?"

Isaac looks Copper over. "Yes, Daddy."

"Good. Get your seatbelt on and let's go."

"Okay!"

Once Isaac is secure in his seatbelt, Arthur turns the key in the ignition and they drive off to Hosea and Bessie's. Arthur knows they are going to have such a good time together, and he is glad. For the moment, his mind is off of the investigation, work, and his relationship with Eliza. For now, he can be with his special partner in crime-busting.

Thank you for reading! 🤠

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